Eight hunters, big-game weapons strapped across their backs, climbed onto the dock. The unpiloted boat that brought them to the remote Pacific island pulled away behind them. At last, their provided radio came to life.
“Welcome to Dinosaur Hunts!” said the artificial-sounding voice. “This is an unsanctioned hunt so don’t expect to meet your hosts.”
“Hey are the rumors true?” said Will Blumberg into the radio.
“What rumors?”
“That Dr. Sappersmith tried to make dinosaurs as smart as people.”
“Lucky for you, he failed. Still, you’re here because his man-eating Utah Raptors are alive and well. Now please step lively, gentlemen. Dinner awaits!”
“Let’s go boys,” cheered Will, anticipating the killing. “This’ll be the most exciting hunt yet!”
Miles away in the radio shack, a Utah Raptor replaced the radio’s mic. He grinned at the other Raptor updating the computer database and crowed, “This’ll be the most exciting hunt yet!”
____________________________________
Written for What Pegman Saw: https://whatpegmansaw.com/2017/10/28/norfolk-island/
Author’s Notes:
Velociraptors weren’t correctly portrayed in the movie, “Jurassic Park.” Velociraptors are much smaller than that, about the size of a large turkey. Utah Raptors were far bigger. Human beings would’ve been hors d’oeuvres for them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utahraptor
EagleAye
Momus News 
Jurassic Park meets Terminator! Great story.
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Haha! Thanks kindly! 🙂
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Trying to figure out how that claw would manipulate radio equipment. I think I heard of a horror movie where someone tried to make a shark as smart as a person or at least smarter than they are (which shouldn’t be hard since they’re as dumb as a box of rocks…great killing and eating machines, though).
Great take on the prompt.
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I’m still trying to understand how receptionists can type with two inch fingernails. They manage somehow. Claws are apparently overcome with determination. 😉 Wasn’t the movie, “Deep Blue Sea” with Saffron Burroughs and Samuel Jackson? It’s unclear to me why a perfectly good killer needs to get any smarter, but hey, it’s fun for stories. 😉 Thanks so much!
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OK, the other thing then is how your dinos can mimic human speech with mouths and tongues clearly not designed to do so. I still marvel on how women can walk on three inch heels and not kill themselves.
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Speech synthesizer. Remember where the radio voice sounded artificial? For the very reasons you gave I doubted the raptors could make a convincing sounding human. So they used a synthesized voice under the guise of anonymity. And I wonder about the women’s heels too. If I tried that I would break my ankle!
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You’ve told that story very artfully! The detail about the dinosaurs and their provenance is an integral part of the action. Nice writing!
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I’m glad that detail came through effectively. Thanks so much. 🙂
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Great twist! I’m thinking Jurassic Park meets West World! I think you just came up with the next big thing.
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Haha! Maybe. I can only hope. Did you ever see “The Ghost and the Darkness”? It’s about hunters hunting these killer lions and find themselves hunted instead. Great movie. Thanks very much! 🙂
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I’ve actually been to Norfolk Island! Years ago, in an RNZAF Andover. It’s got an intriguing history. And dinosaurs… luckily the modern variety, not Utahraptors. Lego is extremely cheap there, which begs a question – could Dr Sappersmith’s raptors build a set? (I bet they could!)
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I looked it up and it looks cool to visit. Did you enjoy it? Seems the modern dinosaurs are the penguins. And the good doctor’s raptors cut their teeth, so to speak, on legos. Later they graduated to building telecommunications relay stations and hacking into satellites. 😉 Thanks Matthew!
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It was a wonderful place. Air Force refuelling stop when I was on my aviation journalism jag. We arrived on the day the locals marked their arrival from Pitcairn Island, on the waterfront amid early nineteenth century ruins.
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So enjoyed the end of your story. What a delightful twist. (Is it ok that I laughed?)
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Perfectly okay! These hunters were the guys going on illegal big game hunts. The ones who keep animals like the Black Rhino on the endangered species list. It’s okay to laugh when turnabout is fair play. 😉 Glad you enjoyed this, and thanks very much!
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The humans may looks like hors d’oeuvres to the Utah raptors, but these hors d’oeuvres carry high-powered rifles, so unless the raptors can use some guns, not just the radios, a their dinner is not guaranteed.
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A challenge, (a dangerous game) for dinner is just they way they like it. Utah Raptors are evolved to take on prey powerful enough to kill them in an instant. And the thing about a guy with a gun is that he usually is more confident than he should be. Excellent tactics by super-predators can render guns irrelevant.
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I like the idea of men like this getting their just desserts – and the raptors getting a meaty starter! Loved it and loved the characters and voices too.
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Me too. Maye them getting their just desserts amounts to dessert for the raptors. 😉 Glad you enjoyed this, and thanks very much!
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My pleasure 🙂
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Haha. Very much I like. If I ever visit, I’ll keep in mind to eschew high-heels and pick up some cheap LEGO.
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Haha! Sounds like an excellent plan. Thanks very much for stopping in! 🙂
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Ha ha! As if they weren’t dangerous enough already…
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Right? Now they’re smart super-killers. Oy! 😉 Thanks so much!
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Very good! Loved your story!
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Thank you kindly! I appreciate that.
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well I like how you write about science and whatnot…
and this piece reminded me of a comic I saw long ago (tried to find it but could not locate it)
a big moose was standing near the entrance of tent and the sign said “the day after hunting season ended…”
as if the moose was now getting them.
anyhow, this piece felt realistic and a bit scary
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Well thank you. I’m glad you like it. I like stories where the prey turns the tables on the predator, like when cape buffalo chase after lions. I’d like to see that comic someday. Sounds like something Gary Larson would draw. Thanks so much!
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well it was not as good as Larson’s work…
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